When Danielle Guizio started her namesake label out of her parents' New Jersey basement in 2014, "Daddy" T-shirts endorsed by Kylie Jenner and custom reworked Levi's jackets for Rihanna and Hailey Bieber were the business's priorities. Several years in, $168 sequined mini skirts became the brand's bread and butter, making Guizio a household name among Hollywood's "It" girls and the downtown New York residents who wanted to dress like them. View this post on Instagram Having amassed more than half a million Instagram followers and cracked the code of online fashion virality, the brand is now focused on expansion — both in retail and product.
Since opening two brick-and-mortar locations (New York City and Miami), the label has quickly learned that its customer wants to complete their outfits without having to search elsewhere. So, after multiple sneaker collaborations with Reebok and Puma, Guizio decided to take footwear in-house. In May 2025, she launched a boot capsule, followed by two more styles earlier this year."The brand has really found its footing in the last five years," Guizio tells Fashionista over email, no pun intended.
"It's been a very organic process...With everything we do, we really take our time. Shoes felt like a natural extension of how I see a full look coming together. It just took time to do it in a way that felt fully ours."This week, Guizio checked another category off her to-do list: handbags.
Teased via Instagram with a "Sex and the City"-like campaign video shot in lower Manhattan, the debut bag collection comprises three silhouettes ranging in price from $198 to $220 — all available to shop Thursday at 11 a.m. ET on the Guizio app and 12 p.m. ET on guizio.com. (The Lola Shoulder bag and Delia Mini Barrel Bag are 100% leather, with the third style being an Embellished Satin Pouchette.) Photo: Courtesy of Danielle Guizio Guizio's customers have been asking for handbags for a while, according to the designer.
"Bags felt like the missing piece, and the timing felt right to complete that full expression of the brand," she shares. "We've been developing these for a few years now and make sure the quality is at our standard."Below, the designer explains how she landed on the new products, expansion strategy and how these new categories further serve her business overall.It's been 12 years since you first started Guizio. What kind of brand did you set out to build back then, and how has that original vision held up over time?I started Guizio wanting to build something that our girl can feel confident in.
That core hasn't changed; it has just become more refined and intentional as I've grown.Before making footwear in-house, you released various collaborations with shoe brands over the years. How did working with those collaborators help inform your solo launch?Those collaborations taught me a lot about construction, fit and what our customer actually responds to. It gave me the confidence to be more precise when we did it on our own.At what point did you feel the brand's identity was strong enough to expand beyond its initial category?When I felt like people understood the world of Guizio beyond just one piece.
It became more of a lifestyle than a product. People really don't know the brand has been around for 10 years. We really took our time.
Photo: Courtesy of Danielle What made 2025/2026 the right time to begin that expansion with shoes?Everything aligned! From our team, to our resources, to the clarity of the brand. It finally felt like we could execute it at the level it deserved.
We have more stores opening this year and customers have been asking for more styles in our New York and Miami locations.How do these categories serve the Guizio business going forward?It allows us to build a more complete wardrobe and deepen our relationship with the customer. It's about longevity and creating a full lifestyle around the brand.What was the biggest learning curve when designing accessories compared to clothing?The level of precision. Accessories are less forgiving because every detail, proportion and finish has to be perfect.
Photos: Courtesy of Danielle Guizio How about the biggest challenge you've faced in producing accessories?Sourcing the right materials and finding partners who can execute at the quality we expect. It's a very different process from apparel. We focused on materials that felt elevated but still accessible.
The silhouettes are rooted in classics but with subtle, signature details.What has this process unlocked creatively for you that you didn't anticipate?It pushed me to think more holistically about styling and function. It's expanded how I design beyond just clothing.Now that shoes and bags are in the mix, what does expansion look like going forward?It's about continuing to build the world of Guizio in a thoughtful way and expanding categories when it feels organic, not forced. We have more of our own physical [retail destinations] opening over the